Lafayette College - Athletics

Athletics

Lafayette offers students an array of athletic opportunities, which includes 23 Division I sports, 18 club sports, and over 30 intramural sports. The football team has made three consecutive appearances in the NCAA Division I-AA football tournament. American football innovations at Lafayette include the first use of the huddle and the invention of the head harness, precursor to the football helmet. The men's basketball program also has a long history, peaking in the late nineties under the leadership of Fran O'Hanlon, who led the Leopards to back-to-back Patriot League championships and NCAA Tournament appearances in 1999 and 2000. These seasons were documented by John Feinstein in his book, The Last Amateurs.

• Affiliation: NCAA Division I, Football: Football Championship Subdivision
• Conference: Patriot League
• Team name: Leopards
• Team colors: Maroon and white
• Arch rival: Lehigh University
• Other rivals: Bucknell University, Colgate University, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania
• Dormant rival: Rutgers University
• Facilities: Fisher Field at Fisher Stadium (Football), Kirby Sports Center (Basketball), Metzgar Fields Athletic Complex
• National Football Championships:
  • Football: 1896 (National Championship Foundation, Parke H. Davis)
  • Football: 1921 (Boand, Parke H. Davis)
  • Football: 1926 (Parke H. Davis)
• Patriot League Championships:
  • Softball: 1982
  • Field Hockey: 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1999, 2002, 2011; ECC Champions 1987, 1989
    • NCAA Tournament Berths: 1999, 2002
  • Baseball: 2007; ECC Champions 1990
    • College World Series participant: 1953, 1954, 1958, 1965
    • NCAA Regionals participant: 1990, 2007
  • Men's Soccer: 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2005; ECC Champions 1984, 1986, 1987
    • NCAA Tournament Berths (non-play-in games): 1995, 1998, 2003, 2005
  • Football: 1992, 1994, 2004, 2005, 2006
    • NCAA Tournament Berths: 2004, 2005, 2006
  • Men's Basketball: 1999, 2000
    • NCAA Tournament Berths: 1957, 1999, 2000
    • NIT Tournament Berths: 1955, 1956, 1972, 1975, 1980
  • Women's Lacrosse: 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002; ECC Champions 1988, 1989
    • NCAA Tournament Berths: 1988, 1989, 1991, 2002
• National Championship:
  • College Bowl: Undefeated Champions, 1962
  • Women's Lacrosse: 1980 Division II USWLA